5 Ways to Dig Yourself Out of the Winter Dumps

If you are anything like me, the seasons affect you. If you are a lot like me, you can wait for this friggin winter madness to end so you can wear flip flops. Or go outside. Or live a real life instead of the one where you and your toddler are imprisoned in your house because it just WON’T. STOP. SNOWING.

I have started bundling my little man up in his Fozzie the Bear snowsuit and marching him over to the park. That’s all well and great…for two minutes. Then I am freezing.

Here are five inexpensive ways that I came up with to help myself run the last leg of this race called MISERABLE WEATHER:

1. Buy some amazingly scented hand soap. My favorites are all at Bath and Body Works of course…their Fresh Picked line, which includes Pears, Tangerine, Strawberry and Garden Herb, hits the spot when in need of a dash of spring. They are currently on sale- 4 for $15 or 6 for $20 so stock up!

2. Dig out your spring clothing, purge the rejects and create a Pinterest board as a shopping list. To me, the first robin or tulip shoot doesn’t signify the start of spring. My major spring shopping splurge does. In order to not get too crazy, I sort out all of the stuff from last year that shrunk, is too young for me anymore (yikes, still holding on to that mini dress…) or just plain doesn’t work and scour fashion mags to find my spring hit list.

Pantone Spring 2013 Color Report

3. Make a mojito. I have been known to mix up a favorite summer cocktail in the middle of winter. Strawberry Daiquiri? Why not? Mango Margarita? Sure! A mojito is one of my favorite warm weather go-to cocktails, and I grow mint in my garden just for this very purpose. In fact, mojitos are the reason I started my garden.

4. Grill out. My husband does the grilling in our family, so I luck out on this one. I am sick and tired of making lasagna, chili, blah blah comfort food. Give me a nice medium rare steak and a cold beer and I am a happy lady. BTW- contrary to what you might have heard, the grill does work in cold temps. It is just the grill operator who might not.

5. Make a summer bucket list. Ok, so you can’t hit Oak Street Beach to play volleyball right now…but writing it down and dreaming about it might just get you in a better mindset. Other things to add? Don’t just make it about experiences and events- add in summer food, cocktails, apparel, anything to the list that you want to do/wear/drink/eat/experience before you are stuck inside again.